What is the best way to travel around the Costa del Sol by public transport or by car? Find out in this chapter.
By car
Travelling by car is ideal if you want to discover more resorts and make frequent trips to the mountains or smaller villages.
Find out what car rental prices are, traffic regulations or how much the tolls on the motorways cost in the detailed chapter on renting a car.
By train
The only easy way to get around the Costa del Sol by train is between Málaga, Málaga Airport and the resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola. The line is very busy and runs every 20 minutes throughout the day, extending to 30 minutes in the evening and at weekends.
Where are the cheapest resorts on the Costa del Sol?
Ticket prices are calculated by zone - zone map - and you can find a list of them on the Spanish Railways website at renfe.com/suburban-malaga.
For example, a ride all the way from end to end will cost just 3,60 eur. There is no discount on a return ticket. Tickets can simply be bought from a machine at each station, where you can pay with cash or card.
There is no railway east of Málaga to Torre del Mar or Nerja.
By bus
However, buses are the most common mode of transport, operating on both long-distance and local services within each resort.
West coast
On the western Costa del Sol between Málaga and Gibraltar, the Avanzabus transport company reigns supreme, operating virtually all routes here. The cheapest way to buy tickets on long-distance routes is via booking.avanzabus.com, which you can also use on mobile, just show the driver the QR code. Tickets are not expensive and range from 3 eur to 15 eur for the entire route from Málaga to La Línea near Gibraltar.
Tickets for local routes within individual resorts or to nearby villages can only be purchased from the driver, or from Avanzabus kiosks, which are always located at the main bus station. These tickets cost a maximum of 1,50 eur.
Useful Avanzabus links:
East Coast
To the east of Málaga, the buses of Spain's largest carrier , Alsa, dominate the routes to the resorts of Torre del Mar, Torrox and Nerja. Again, the easiest way to buy tickets is online via the alsa.es website or via the mobile app(Google Play / App Store).
Connections on the busiest route Málaga - Torre del Mar - Nerja also run several times an hour and tickets will cost a maximum of 5 eur.
